Japanese Encephalitis: BJP team to visit Malkangiri today

Bhubaneswar: While the death toll due to the deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is rising faster in Malkangiri district, a six-member team of the BJP Odisha unit led by State general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra will visit affected villages in the district on Friday to take stock of the situation.

The team would assess the causes behind the spread of the disease and prevention steps taken by the State Government to contain the epidemic. The team would later prepare a report on the findings and submit it to both the State Government and the Centre.

Holding the State Government responsible, Baxipatra questioned that while the Centre is ready to extend all kind of assistance and cooperation, why the Odisha Government has not taken any help from the former till yet? At a Press meet held here on Wednesday, he alleged that pigs have not been isolated from the human habitation yet while mosquito nets are yet to reach near people in all the villages as per the announcement made by the Government.

Also read: Encephalitis toll reaches 40 with two more deaths

The team will have members, including MLA Radharani Panda, former Minister Pradipta Nayak and Shiva Shankar Ulaka.